Forbidden Fruit
by ilovemybishies87
Summary: Everyone has their own personal hell. Of course, no one else has to deal with a demon who’s, quite literally, from hell itself. Rating will go up in the future. ::NeuYako::
1. Chapter 1

_Everyone had their own personal Hell. For some it was school, with the mindless day in, day out, go to class, take test, pass, and move on to the next grade, only to deal with the same mindless drivel in more 'challenging' doses. For others it was home, a place they never felt they belonged, even if it was where they lived their entire lives. And still others, like Katsuragi Yako, felt work was their own Hell on Earth._

_Of course, no one else had to deal with a demon that was, quite literally, from Hell itself._

* * *

"Yako!"

The young detective stopped at the school gates. Kanae was running to catch up to her, schoolbag in one hand while waving with the other to get Yako's attention. There was the hint of a frown on her friend's face.

"Kanae, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" said Kanae as she approached Yako. She shook her head. "No, no! I wouldn't say anything's wrong, exactly, but it's been a while, hasn't it? I barely see you outside of class. You're always busy solving mysteries with your assistant."

Assistant. Yes, that was what people thought Neuro was: her assistant. More than once Yako wondered how he could pass himself off as such. It was obvious, even to someone as admittedly simple-minded as herself, that he acted more like a detective than she ever did.

No wonder Neuro didn't hold most humans in very high esteem.

"What about today?" Kanae asked. "Think you have time?"

Yako sighed. It wasn't that she didn't want to hang out with her friend. Quite the opposite. Not only had the HAL case been particularly draining, both physically and emotionally, there was a new soba place that opened up a few blocks away. She could practically feel her stomach grumble in anticipation.

"Sorry. I wish I could, but . . ."

If she did, her head would be 180 degrees from where it was meant to be. And that was if she were lucky.

"Don't worry about it! Some other time," said Kanae, an overly cheerful tone to her voice. But she wasn't fooling Yako. The slight crinkle near her eyes gave away her disappointment. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I promise I'll make it up to you!" Yako called out as Kanae turned the corner, disappearing from sight. "I'll make sure not to eat as much so you won't be stuck with a large check!"

Kanae glanced back and laughed, a genuine—if somewhat exasperated—laugh. "Idiot! How is that helping me?"

Yako allowed herself a small smile as headed in the opposite hurried down the streets toward an all-too-familiar building, the one with the door that read **_Katsuragi Yako's Demon Detective Office_**. She was a block away when she felt a bit of wetness splash against her cheek. She cursed the weather, or perhaps the weather reporter, who stated with pride there wouldn't be a single cloud in the sky. It didn't matter either way. What _did_ matter was the umbrella she left by the front door of her house.

The light drops here and there quickly became larger, heavier, until Yako found herself caught in the middle of a downpour. She held her schoolbag over her head in vain. Her best chance was to make a dash for it and hope she wouldn't be _completely_ soaked. She ran the rest of the way, splashing into large puddles and getting wetter in the process. After a quick climb up the stairs, dripping along the way, she wrung out the water from her hair and clothes. Once she was satisfied with her level of dryness—which was still rather damp—her hand hovered over the doorknob, as if she were debating whether to go inside.

That wasn't true, of course. Yako knew she didn't have any choice but to go in, lest she incur Neuro's wrath—well, more wrath than usual. The reason she was still outside, shivering from the air conditioning blowing on her, was quite simple.

She was figuring out what Neuro would throw at her for being. Yes, for being. She learned long ago no matter whether she was late, early, or exactly on time, he would always be sure to throw something at her, with frightening accuracy, as she entered the room. In her mind, the only logical conclusion was that he was annoyed with her simply existing.

Yako mentally ran through the objects in the office, knowing that with each passing moment the object in question would be bigger and bigger. Maybe one of the many staplers Neuro always seemed to have on hand? She shook her head. Probably not, since he had thrown one at her yesterday. She checked her watch. Considering how late she was, it would have to be something fairly large. Perhaps the TV again.

There was only one way to find out. Slowly, she turned the knob and pushed on the door. A quick peek didn't reveal anything dangerous. The bookshelves lined the perimeter of the office. Akane was at her usual spot on the wall answering emails. The couch and coffee table were in the center of the room.

Yako took a hesitant step in.

Then again, there _was_ a large, black mass where Neuro should've been, sitting smugly at his desk. Before she could dodge what he had thrown at her—it was the TV this time, she knew it!—Yako slipped and slammed the back of her head against the floor. She opened her eyes, half-expecting to see stars, only to find herself gazing at Neuro. Somehow he'd managed to make his way from the desk to the ceiling in less time than it took most people to blink.

"I'm sorry I'm—"

There was a loud _shonk_ above her. Before she could see what had made the noise, there was a crash as sharpened metal met tile, cutting off the lock of hair at the back of her head that refused to lay flat.

Yako paled, eyes wide. Since when did they have a guillotine in their office?

"Aw, that's such a shame," said Neuro, with his usual 'innocent' face. He pushed off the ceiling and landed gracefully next to her. "If you had only slipped a few feet back."

She shot up and reached for her neck, gently rubbing it. No doubt that would've amused Neuro, but Yako rather liked her head where it was, thank you very much.

"I got your text," she started, pushing herself off the floor. The action took more effort than usual, her whole body screaming in protest at the soreness. Ignoring the feeling, she walked over to the desk where Neuro now sat. "What case do we have for today?"

"None."

"None?"

"Louse," Neuro said, his eyes narrowed, "I thought you had evolved after the HAL incident. But if you feel the need to repeat everything I say, perhaps I assumed incorrectly."

A nerve in Yako's face twitched. "Forgive me for thinking we had one since, you know, you demanded I come down here!"

"If I sensed the hint of case, I would've found you immediately. It's so troublesome tracking you down," he said, voice laced with mock weary. "You should stay here all the time instead." He pointed to a spot beneath Akane with a dog bed and collar, the chain attached to the wall. Neuro being Neuro, the spikes on the collar, which were intended to be on the outside, were pointed inwards, and the 'bed' consisted of a few slabs of concrete. "See? What do you think?"

Yako crossed her arms across her chest, making an X. "I refuse!"

"Such an inconsiderate slave. After all the trouble I went through to get this for you."

A loud grumble answered him before she could respond. Yako placed a hand over her stomach. "So hungry . . ."

Neuro turned away from her, scoffing. "Are you sure that stomach of yours hasn't been replaced by a black hole?"

Yako glared at the back of his head as he stared out the windows. As if he were one to talk. The way he ate his mysteries, he was as much a glutton as she was.

Besides, it was his fault she was so hungry. He texted her before she could have her late afternoon snack. When was the last time she had okonomiyaki or takoyaki or soba? Oh, soba! Would she ever get to visit that new soba shop? If Neuro had anything to say about it, the answer was a resounding no.

Yako felt her mouth water. Thinking about food wasn't helping.

"Hurry up and get something," said Neuro. "You're even more useless when you're hungry."

He was actually letting her eat? Even if it was more for his benefit than her own, for Neuro that was an act of kindness.

Still, she wouldn't complain. Yako placed her schoolbag on the table and rummaged around for her coin pouch. She smiled when her hands wrapped around the familiar plastic of the bag. Maybe she would get some soba after all. Pulling out the plastic pouch, she unclipped it and turned the bag upside down above her hand.

Nothing. Not even a single yen. She looked forlornly inside the coin purse, her stomach noisier than ever. How could she forget? She used the last of her allowance the day before at the dango shop.

"Say, Neuro. You wouldn't be willing to. . ." Yako paused, a sheepish laugh escaping her lips. "Lend me some money?"

A wide grin stretched across Neuro's face. "Even if I did, why would I lend it to you?"

Yako held her head in dismay. It was a long shot, to be sure. Why had she expected anything less?

"However," Neuro said, getting up from his chair, "if you're that hungry, let me treat you."

Yako's face turned an odd shade of green. She remembered the last time he offered her food. "I'm fine. I'd rather not have poisoned curry or poisoned katsudon or poisoned, well, anything at the moment." Or ever.

"Tsk! What a shame." Neuro shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out something spherical. Yako did a double take. "And here I thought I would be a kind master and give you a reward for all your hard work."

He suddenly tossed the thing to her. With only a few seconds to react, she caught the thing awkwardly, nearly dropping it in the process.

"A pomegranate?" She brought the reddish-pink fruit closer, inspecting it. "I didn't think they grew this time of year." Yako eyed him suspiciously. This was _too _nice a reward. "You injected this with poison or laxatives or some other horrible thing, didn't you?"

Neuro didn't say anything, and yet she could practically hear his response. '_As if I would tell you.'_

She returned her attention to the fruit in her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Not too firm or too soft. Just right. Yako could already imagine how sweet its seeds were. It looked positively perfect. Too perfect, now that she thought about it. Yes, he must have done something to it. She looked back to the puzzle-eating demon only to find him at the computer studiously ignoring her.

There were a million reasons not to eat the pomegranate, not the least of which was that it came from Neuro. Unfortunately, her mind was no longer in control. Her stomach had given the command to start digging in.

With a soft plop onto the sofa, she gave a quick thanks for the food, then tore into the fruit with almost superhuman strength. She placed the pieces of skin onto the table, grabbed a couple of seeds and dropped them into her mouth. They were sweet, sweeter than she'd ever eaten before. Grabbing a few more, she closed her eyes as she chewed, without the slightest worry of the juice dripping down her fingers. Soon enough the seeds were gone, leaving her with red-stained hands.

At his desk Neuro looked up from the computer, eyes glowing unnaturally green. "I take it you enjoyed your reward?" he asked, an odd tone to his voice. It reminded Yako of when he was on the brink of solving a mystery, only there was something different about it she couldn't place.

The worry that left her while she was eating returned full force.

"For now. I think I'll wait to see if I drop dead in the next few minutes before I give you my final—" She turned, ready to finish her scathing remark, when she saw his face and stopped.

Yako had never been as terrified of the puzzle-eating demon as she was at that exact moment. It wasn't the glowing of his demonic eyes that scared her, but rather his grin, stretched wide enough to show every one of his sharpened teeth, and the way his hands gripped the desk, claws digging in where his gloves should've been.

"N-Neuro?"

He had to have heard her, but he didn't answer. His gaze wasn't even on her face, but on her fingertips. What about them could be so fascinating to hold Neuro's gaze? Yako looked down and gasped.

Where there was once pomegranate juice, her hands were now covered in blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Yako glanced at her hands again, but the blood was gone. Her mind must've been playing tricks on her. That, or the stress from the HAL case was affecting her. Or maybe, she thought darkly, she had finally snapped. It was only a matter of time, considering all the physical and mental abuse she endured, day in, day out.

But then, there was that look on Neuro's face. She couldn't have imagined that, too.

"Neuro," Yako repeated, rooted to the spot, "what did you do to that fruit?"

"What do you mean?" His grip on the desk tightened before releasing it, taking a few splinters of the desk with him. He sauntered to her with unnervingly measured steps, a finger to his lips, his eyes wide. "Are you saying you didn't like it?"

Yako blanched at the sight of his 'innocent' face. She needed to tread cautiously.

"It's not a matter of liking . . . or not liking."

Neuro was nearly a stride away from her when his expression returned to normal. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he said, contemplative. "It doesn't matter."

She blinked. Had the world suddenly turned upside down? Yako couldn't remember the last time Neuro agreed with her, let alone admit she was right. Under different circumstances she would've relished the moment, but the feeling was dampened by the almost predatory look he was giving her.

"All that matters," he said, his hands reaching for hers, "is that you accepted."

A strangled noise escaped Yako's mouth. The grip on her wrists was unbelievable, and the fact that his hands were halfway between claws and hands didn't help. She suspected she would never regain feeling in them. With an unnecessarily forceful tug, Neuro pulled on her arms. Her feet practically tripped over themselves, but she managed not to fall into his chest.

"Neu—Ah!" His grip tightened further as he brought her hands to his mouth. She would lose her hands if he kept this up. "Let—"

The sensation of Neuro's tongue on her fingers, lapping up the pomegranate juice she failed to wipe off, made the words die in her throat. A shudder ran through Yako at the rough, inhuman feel brushing against her skin. He started at the base, taking her finger into his mouth, and swirled his tongue around the digit. The slight burning of her skin worried her, but she considered herself lucky her finger was intact at all, from what she remembered of his saliva.

A sudden pain pulled Yako from her thoughts, and forced a yelp from her lips. Neuro had nipped at the tip of her finger, nearly hard enough to draw blood.

The still functioning part of her mind was screaming to push him away, or at least do something to stop him. Unfortunately, her body refused to listen and remained frozen as he repeated himself for every one of her fingers. When Neuro was done with the last finger, he stared down at her. There was an oddly pleased expression on his face.

"Almost done."

_Almost_ done. Which meant there was still more. What else could he possibly do? Yako's heart started racing.

"Done with what?"

"Silence," he ordered, and released her right arm.

Yako took advantage of the opportunity to put as much distance between her and the puzzle-eating demon. Pulling her arm from his grasp would only result in more pain, and possibly one less limb, so she used her free hand to hit him and hopefully—if perhaps futilely—release her other arm.

Neuro didn't even blink. Before her fist could reach his shoulder, his right hand wrapped around her wrist, easily holding both arms in his grasp. With his other hand he reached into his pocket once more.

She held her breath. This was it. No way she would get away with trying to strike him without being punished. But what torture device could be so important he would keep it on his person? Whatever it was, Yako knew it wouldn't be good for her. She wanted to close her eyes, to shield herself from whatever horror was awaiting her, but she forced herself to keep them open.

Huh. She hadn't been expecting _that_.

Neuro pulled out a ring, one too small to fit any of his fingers. And to her infinite surprise, there were no spikes or serrated edges or any other 'embellishments' on the inside of the band. It was simply a ring, gold with a triangular green gem the same shade as Neuro's eyes. As much as Yako hated to admit it, it was very beautiful, even by human standards.

Before she could say anything, Neuro shoved the band onto her right ring finger. He stared at her hand for a second, and then released her arms, letting them fall to her sides. With a suspiciously satisfied grin, he went back to his desk.

Yako lifted up her hand, mesmerized by the gleaming gem.

"It's complete. Now I am your _shujin _in every way," said Neuro, and pointed to her smugly. "You should consider yourself lucky."

It took longer than normal for his words to completely sink in. But when they did, Yako's jaw dropped. "You can't possibly . . . " Her limbs refused to stop shaking as she looked at him. "By _shujin_, you mean—"

"Husband?" he shot back. "Of course."

Husband. Neuro was saying he was her husband? Her mind refused to wrap itself around the thought.

"You can't be! We . . . We're not married. I didn't get my western-style wedding, with a church and a wedding dress and a wedding cake as big as a car!" Yako knew she was rambling, and that Neuro would tell her off because of it, but she didn't care. "I would even settle for a traditional wedding, even if it's considered old fashioned." She walked up to him and slammed her hand on the desk. "We cannot be married!"

Scoffing, Neuro sat with his feet up on the desk and leaned back. "I realize humans lose their capacity to retain memories as they age, but I didn't know it could start this early. Don't tell me you've forgotten the ceremony already, louse."

Yako blinked. "Ceremony?" She titled her head to the side. "What ceremony?"

"The pomegranate," Neuro said with some impatience. She stared at him blankly, so he continued, "You ate it."

"Yes. And your point?" What did eating a fruit have to do with marriage?

Unless . . .

"In Hell, the male offers the female a pomegranate. With this simple act he is asking her to be his mate—or 'wife,' as humans would put it. It is up to the female to reciprocate. If she eats the fruit, she has accepted his offer. Then the male gives the female a ring, not only to bind the two together, but also to let other demons know she is his," replied Neuro. His gaze shifted to the pieces of skin on the coffee table. "Since you ate my pomegranate _and_ have my ring on your finger, I think it should be quite obvious what that means."

Yako glared at him, then the table where the accursed pomegranate skin lay, before returning her gaze to Neuro. She pointed at him and yelled the first coherent thought to pop into her head. "H-How was I supposed to know Hell's marriage rituals, idiot?!"

He tricked her. Perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised, but even she didn't think Neuro would stoop so low. She looked at the ring, which she momentarily thought was beautiful, with newfound disgust. Ready to throw it back at him, she started pulling off the band.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Neuro said, arms folded across his chest. His grin widened. "Unless you don't mind losing that finger. In which case, by all means, feel free to continue."

Yako stopped and turned to him in disbelief. "What?!" She glanced down, shocked to find a trail of blood running down her finger.

This had to be a joke. Some kind of cruel, sick, twisted joke. Or maybe this was his newest form of torture, in which case he was breaking her down exceedingly well.

She wanted to collapse to the floor and start crying. Yako felt confused, bewildered by everything that had transpired. There was only so much she could handle. Just yesterday Neuro was throwing staplers at her and dragging her along to solve another mystery, and today he was proclaiming they were married.

She wanted their weird normalcy back. At least she knew what to expect from the old Neuro. But this new one, with his eyes flicking to the ring on her hand, she couldn't begin to predict what he'd do.

"What's this?" He smirked. "Have you finally figured it out?"

Yako refused to give him the satisfaction of watching her break down. So she did the only sensible thing she could think of. Turning on her heel she crossed the room, pulled the door open, and ran back home as fast as her legs would allow her.

Rain be damned.

* * *

"Hello! Yako, are you there?"

The young detective blinked. How long had Kanae been there? The last thing she remembered was exiting her house and heading to school. With a shake of her head, she turned to her friend. "Eh?"

"I was calling your name for over a minute, but you didn't answer. And you had this horrified look on your face for some reason," commented Kanae, and then leaned closer. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Sorry," Yako said, her hand on the back of her head. "I've had a lot on my mind recently, so I'm a little out of it."

And why shouldn't she? Thanks to a certain puzzle-eating demon, Yako barely got any sleep at all. Surprisingly, he didn't follow her home, which she would've taken as a small mercy, but even when he wasn't there Neuro managed to haunt her thoughts. Her mind kept going back to the last few hours, how her being late for a non-existent case ended with her being married to her demonic tormentor.

Needless to say, the reality of their 'marriage' simply refused to sink in.

A tiny part of her held out hope that this was some strange mind-game. Sure, it wasn't normal, at least by Neuro's standards, but it was still within the realm of possibility. But if she were being completely honest with herself, deep down she knew that wasn't the case.

"Hey, this is new," Kanae said, and grabbed Yako's right hand. She brought it closer as they entered the school, eyes fixated on the glowing green gem. "I've never seen you wear this ring before. What kind of stone is this? It doesn't look like any stone I know of."

"Y-Yeah," said Yako, though to which part, she couldn't tell.

"Look at the quality of this gold. This isn't like that cheap stuff you find the street vendors selling," Kanae remarked, rubbing the gold beneath her thumb. "This is almost designer brand quality!"

Was it really? Yako hadn't thought about it. She'd been more preoccupied with how to get the band off, without losing her finger in the process.

"Oh?"

Kanae smiled mischievously. "I see. Could it be from one of your secret admirers?"

Yako almost tripped, too surprised by Kanae's question to notice the step up at the entrance. "What? No!" she said forcefully. "I mean, no. That's just—" She waved her hand frantically. "No, it's not."

"Is that so?" Kanae asked. "Well, I suppose you're right. You've never shown interest in any of them before." Releasing her hand, she pointed to Yako with a determined look on her face. "That only leaves . . . your assistant!"

This time Yako did trip. Her face felt red hot from embarrassment, as well as renewed anger at her 'assistant.'

Kanae chuckled and offered her hand to Yako. "I was right, wasn't I? I knew it. There's no one else it could be but him."

"You're wrong!" Yako insisted, as Kanae pulled her up to her feet. "As if he would—"

"If that's true, then why is your face so red?"

Yako's hands flew to her cheeks. She had hoped Kanae wouldn't notice. "It's really hot today."

"You don't have to be shy about it, you know," said Kanae, shrugging. Once they changed into their indoor shoes, they continued to their classroom. "I always suspected there was more between you two than 'detective' and 'assistant.'"

"You have no idea," muttered Yako. Although it certainly wasn't in the sense Kanae was thinking.

"I mean, I can't blame you. He's tall and handsome . . ."

Yako considered this for a moment, but found she couldn't deny Kanae's claim. From a purely objective standpoint, even with his more demonic face, she understood how Neuro could be seen as attractive: long limbs, odd dual-colored hair, stand out green eyes. Of course, all of that was diminished when he was twisting her neck, or dragging her by her head, or tricking her into marriage.

And then there was the issue of his _true_ demonic form. A bird-like creature with razor sharp teeth was definitely not so handsome.

"Not to mention well-mannered!" Kanae continued, unaware Yako had retreated into her own thoughts. She sighed wistfully. "You're so lucky to have a boyfriend like that!"

Yako took a seat at her desk and placed her head in her hands. Yes, a sadistic, puzzle-eating demon from Hell.

Who on Earth wouldn't want a guy like that?


	3. Chapter 3

Her back was pressed flush against the office door. Neuro loomed over her, his hands gripping her arms to hold her in place. Good thing, too. Without him holding her up, Yako was sure she would crumple to the ground; her shaking legs wouldn't hold out much longer. She wondered what his expression was—whether he was mad or frustrated or merely sadistic—but she couldn't bring herself to look at his face. The fear of what she might find kept her gaze on her shoes.

How did she get herself into this situation? She couldn't remember.

"Yako . . ."

Somehow she knew he was trying to get under her defenses. Neuro never called her by her name. It was always louse or some other degrading term. But she wouldn't fall for one of his traps, not this time. Yako kept her gaze to the ground, shifting her focus from her feet to the cracks in the tile. The task proved more difficult than she expected. It felt like there was an invisible hand trying to tilt her head up and force her to look at the demon. And no matter how hard she tried or fought against it, she felt her willpower slipping away.

Neuro apparently sensed her crumbling defenses and decided to use this to his advantage. With a tightened grip he stepped closer, his mouth brushing against her ear. Yako practically jumped when he whispered, his breath warm as it moved across her skin.

"Yako." His voice was even lower than normal.

She shivered at the sound. How did something that sounded so human sound so _inhuman_ at the same time? Despite herself, Yako found her head lifting of its own accord, her eyes locking with his.

Her stomach felt as though it had dropped down to the office three stories below them—or perhaps even further than that. Neuro was giving her _that_ look. The one she saw after she had finished the pomegranate. It was a hungry look, but she knew Neuro didn't hunger for puzzles or mysteries.

It was for something more primitive, more primal.

Yako had barely blinked and his mouth was pressed against hers, unusually gentle. For a moment she stood there, eyes wide, staring at the puzzle-eating demon. This couldn't be Neuro. Gentle—or any other terms remotely related—did not apply to him. And yet, she found herself closing her eyes.

Once he released her arms, her hands wove themselves into his two-toned hair. She was surprised to find how soft the strands were between her fingers. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, the gap between them disappearing. Yako moaned at the closeness, at the sudden warmth of his body against hers. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be kissing Neuro. The feeling was overwhelming. She was certain she would collapse to the ground, her already trembling limbs giving out, but he pulled her legs onto his hips.

She couldn't pull away. More than that, Yako didn't want to. She wanted to lose herself in his warmth, in the feelings he was bringing out of her. When he finally pulled his lips from hers, she let Neuro take her wherever he wanted.

As he crossed the room, something struck her as odd. Since when did they get a bed? A couch, yes, but not a bed. She tried thinking back to when they had bought that particular piece, but found the task impossible. Neuro's mouth on her neck, sucking the skin and massaging it with his tongue, kept distracting her.

He dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed. The sudden impact shocked Yako from her stupor, if only briefly. Neuro grabbed her wrists, forcing them above her head, and returned his lips to hers. This time there was no hesitation; her mouth moved as frantically as his.

But something was wrong. As they continued she could feel Neuro morph, become less human and more like his true form. But she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Soon his head no longer resembled a human's. He had fully transformed into the strange bird-like creature she had seen only a handful of times.

His mouth opened completely to reveal rows of short, sharp teeth hidden inside his beak. Yako tried to push away from him, but she felt herself falling, falling, down his throat, until she was no more.

Neuro's beak closed with a resounding slam. "_Gochisousama_."

Yako's eyes popped open. She was covered in a sheen of sweat, on the verge of hyperventilating, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. She looked around her room, bathed in the pink of early morning light, then turned to clock on the nightstand beside her: 5:15. Closing her eyes she sighed, a hand on her chest.

What was with that dream? It felt so real. The bed should've tipped her off, and it had, but only for a second. But even without the bed, Neuro's behavior was more than enough to . . .

Her cheeks burned as she forced the dream from her mind. How could she have given in so easily? Dream or not, Yako couldn't stand the thought. She would never allow herself, not to him, and how dare her subconscious suggest otherwise.

Besides, did Neuro even know or care about those things? What exactly did being married to him entail?

Yako rubbed the ring, his ring, between her fingers. She refused to take this 'marriage' in stride. She wouldn't let him play with her like he always did. No matter what, she would remove the ring and get their marriage reversed, if it was the last thing she did.

One of them would have to give in to the other's wishes, and this time it wouldn't be her.

Her silent oath was enough to sooth her nerves. Rolling onto her side, Yako tried going back to sleep. With any luck this would be her one day of rest from school and mysteries. She wanted nothing more than to sleep in and not worry about getting dressing up.

To her dismay, her body was against her.

Yako pulled her pillow out from under her head and covered her face. She didn't want to get up. Why did she have to be programmed to wake early? At least the chores that had piled up around the house would get worked on.

With one last sigh she removed the pillow and opened her eyes. Green eyes stared back at her. A moment passed before it clicked that Neuro was leaning over her—not on the ceiling, for once, but by her bed. She screamed and tumbled to the floor.

Right next to Neuro.

"Why, Yako!" he said rather cheerfully. "If I knew all it would take for you to bow down at my feet was marriage, I would've wed you a long time ago!"

Her eyebrow twitched. "Stop reading into things that were obviously an accident!"

Yako had silently hoped the puzzle-eating demon would've learned the boundaries of privacy, but considering he stood right next to her, in her bedroom of all places, apparently not. Or perhaps he had learned and simply didn't care. The latter seemed more likely.

"What do you think you're doing in my room?"

She was about to push herself off the ground when Neuro placed a foot on her back, forcing her back down. A wide smirk was plastered across his face. "I sensed the hint of a mystery nearby."

"Get off of me, you—" Yako flailed her arms and legs, hoping to get some bearing. When that didn't work, she turned to face him. As much as she could, at any rate, with her pressed against the floor.

"Is something wrong? Surely you enjoy being at your _shujin_'s feet," said Neuro. "Why else would you have dropped to the ground so suddenly after you noticed I was here?"

Yako swatted awkwardly at his foot, but it didn't budge. "That's why I said to stop reading into things!"

To her surprise, Neuro removed his foot from her back. She managed to push herself up with a little effort, a few pops running down her spine. His torment didn't last as long as Yako expected. That could only mean one thing: he had something worse in store for her.

"Hurry up, louse," he said, eyes moving up and down her form critically. "If you take any longer, the mystery may reveal itself before we get there. I shall give you to the count of ten."

"Huh?" Yako stared at him as if he had grown another head—or maybe had his true form's head. "The count of ten to do . . . what?"

Neuro folded his arms. "To get ready."

"R-Ready?" repeated Yako, then shook her head. "Neuro, there's no way I could possibly—"

"Starting now. Ten . . ."

Yako knew better than to push her luck. Thankfully she had taken a shower the night before. At the count of eight she stood in front of her closet, grabbing anything that was clean, and ran to the bathroom. By the count of four, she had somehow managed to remove her pajamas and pull on her clothes: a pair of shorts, a tank top, and a thin sweater. Neuro made his way from the bedroom to the kitchen by the time he reached one. When he found her she was in the kitchen, shoveling food into her mouth.

He grabbed her head and dragged her away from the table. "Zero."

"Wait, I'm almost done!" She reached out to the table, and the dirty dishes laying on it, but couldn't reach. "I still need to brush my teeth!"

"I've spared you ten seconds I didn't have to give. You should be thankful for my kindness."

Neuro's definition of kindness was definitely twisted. But considering what she had seen of his cruelty, yes, this would be him being kind.

"You can let go now. I'm not going to run away. I'll be right behind you." His grip on her head didn't loosen. "Neuro?" No answer. "You're not seriously going drag me the whole way, are you?"

It was a stupid question. Yako knew that the moment it left her mouth. Of course he would. Marriage wouldn't change that. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, or misplaced hope, or a bit of both. Why she would have either was anyone's guess.

Yako managed to ignore the whispers and stares and pointing as they made their way to the crime scene. This wasn't the first time Neuro had pulled this stunt, so she was sadly used to it. What surprised her were a couple of older women giggling as they passed. She only caught part of their conversation, but the words 'cute' and 'sweet' were somehow involved.

They stopped in front of a tiny bakery. Only then did Neuro let go, dropping her without warning. Yako could feel herself slip into their normal routine. It was almost relaxing, in a perverse kind of way.

"A mystery, here?" She looked briefly at Neuro. "Someone was killed here?"

"Very soon," he said, anticipation in his eyes.

Barely a minute passed before they were joined by two familiar faces.

Sasazuka took a puff of his cigarette, then stomped it out as he approached. "Yako-chan, you're up early."

"Yes. I'm afraid I had trouble getting back to sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sasazuka.

"You two!" Ishigaki pointed at her and Neuro. "How do you always manage to get here before us? It's unnatural."

Neuro placed his hands on her shoulders, his 'innocent' face already set. "It's only because of Yako's amazing intuition!"

"Yako's?" Sasazuka repeated, eyebrow raised.

"Anyway, please excuse us." Neuro's hands moved from her shoulders to her waist as he dragged her into the building. "Yako simply can't wait to get started on this case. Isn't that right?" His hand morphed into claws and pressed firmly into her side.

Yako bristled at the sensation, pale. "Y-Yes, that's right." She waved stiffly to the two police officers. "We'll see you, Sasazuka-san, Ishigaki-san."

Once they were out of earshot, Sasazuka turned to his partner. "Ishigaki."

"Yes, senpai!"

"Is it just me," said Sasazuka, pulling out another cigarette and his lighter, "or is that assistant of Yako-chan's acting more—how would you put it? Close?"

"I would say touchy-feely," said Ishigaki.

Sasazuka nodded. "So you did notice. Not only that . . ."

"Hm?" Ishigaki watched as Sasazuka lit the cigarette and placed it in his mouth. "What is it, senpai?"

"Since when did he start calling Yako-chan by her first name?"


	4. Chapter 4

What would she find when she woke up? Yako didn't want to know. Would there be Neuro's unnatural green eyes staring back at her or the sight of her ceiling? There was only one way to find out. Her eyes fluttered open.

Never before had she been so happy to see her ceiling, even with the restless night of sleep. The dreams had not let up since they began last week. In fact, they were getting worse. This time the removal of clothes had been involved.

But Yako decided not to dwell on those thoughts. For the first time in ages, she had a weekend to herself. She could hardly remember the last time that happened. All of her weekends recently consisted of her following—well, more like being dragged by—Neuro in search of a mystery.

Yako stared at the ring reflecting in the late morning light and sighed. Taking Neuro's words to heart, she hadn't tried removing it again. Not that she didn't consider other ways to get it off. Cutting the band seemed the most reasonable solution, but the fear of losing her finger from the blade itself kept her from trying it out.

Besides, the ring almost felt like it belonged on her finger. Yako's eyes widened at the thought, and she shook her head. No, definitely no. She wouldn't allow herself to get comfortable with the idea of their 'marriage.' Her life was stressful enough without _that_ making things more complicated.

Now that Yako thought about it, over the course of the week the ring, and what it entailed, hadn't been mentioned once, neither by her nor Neuro. That wasn't to say everything was back to normal. Maybe her dreams were making her paranoid, but Yako swore he was more . . . intimate than before. Nothing as blatant as when he licked her fingers, not that she would give him the chance to do that again. But his hands seemed to linger on her, whether he was dragging her to a case or twisting a limb past the point of breaking.

Still, Neuro surprised her with how little he was holding their 'marriage' over her head, as he'd done the first few days. That, combined with his now-found intimacy, only served to worry Yako more. Silence with Neuro was a sure sign he had something even worse planned.

Well, whatever he decided, there was nothing Yako could do to stop him. The least she could do was pretend to have an uneventful day—at least until he showed up and shattered her precious illusion of a normal life. She decided to indulge herself in a long bath before getting ready. Unlike last weekend, she took her time choosing her clothes. She eventually settled on a black pleated skirt and a t-shirt with the words '_Happiness is changing_' printed on it.

Grabbing the keys to her house, she locked the front door and headed into the city. This would likely be her only chance to visit the not-as-new soba shop. Yako was so focused on getting there before the lunch rush that she almost didn't notice the familiar face she bumped into.

"Katsuragi?" asked the bespectacled boy with messy hair.

Yako smiled as he approached. "Higuchi-san! It's been a while."

His laptop was nowhere to be found. Higuchi was about a foot away when he stopped, his back straight, and bowed at a perfect 45-degree angle. "How are you?"

"I'm . . . better than I was after HAL, that's for sure." Try as she might, Yako couldn't bring herself to say she was great or good or even okay. "I see Usui-san's training hasn't worn off."

Higuchi shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered something under his breath.

"Hmm?"

"Unfortunately," he said, but his annoyed expression was soon replaced with a smile. "But I'm glad to hear you're doing better. I'm sure that case must've taken its toll on you."

Unconsciously, Yako rubbed her thumb against the ring. Oh, if only her worries were about the HAL case.

"Anyway, now that you're here, maybe you'll take me up on my offer."

"What offer?"

Higuchi fiddled with his glasses, then pushed them onto his head. "For tea. Remember?"

"That's right." In the chaos of the last couple of weeks, Yako had completely forgotten. "Sure, that sounds great! Oh, and can we stop by that new soba shop, too?" She dug through her purse and pulled out her coin bag. "See, I have enough money to pay for my share!"

Higuchi laughed, shaking his head. "Sure, we can stop there. But I think you misunderstand what I—"

Her cell phone buzzing cut him off.

"Sorry," Yako said, rummaging through her purse. "Let me just . . ." Just when she was ready to dump everything out onto the sidewalk, she found it in a side pocket. She pulled the phone out and flipped it open.

And groaned.

Higuchi stepped closer, suddenly serious. "Is something wrong?"

There was a text message from Neuro.

_Yako,  
Get to the office, unless you want to lose a limb!_

Her eyebrow twitched. It was barely noon, and her attempt at a normal day was ruined. At least she still had Sunday, so long as Neuro didn't find another case. Which she had no doubt he would. She closed the phone and dropped it back in her purse.

"I think I might have to take you up on that offer another day," said Yako, sighing. "Something just came up."

Higuchi forced a smile. "Ah." Yako had already turned around, to the direction of the office, when he added, "A message from Neuro?"

Yako stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "How did you—?"

"Who else could it be?" Higuchi asked, but she sensed he meant it rhetorically. His gaze went from her eyes to her hand. Her right hand. "I see. He's . . . very important to you, isn't he, Katsuragi?"

Yako followed his gaze and nearly choked. "I-I think you're misunderstanding. This isn't what it looks like!"

Higuchi shook his head. "I don't think I am. Maybe, this time, you're the one who's—"

Hands grabbed Yako's shoulders and squeezed tightly. It took all her strength to keep a straight face and not scream or wince. Seconds later the hand morphed into claws, poking through her shirt and into her flesh. Only one person—demon—was capable of doing that.

But how had he found her and so fast? The flashing of Yako's ring caught her attention. No, it couldn't be. Could it?

"Why, Yako! What a coincidence meeting you here, of all places. And just after I messaged you," chirped Neuro. He took one look at Higuchi, like one would a worm, before turning back to her. "We should be heading off, shouldn't we?"

Yako managed a slight nod as she was led away, Neuro's claws still pressed into her shoulders. Ignoring the pain, she turned slightly and waved to Higuchi. He returned the gesture half-heartedly, a look of understanding on his face.

Once they were out of sight, she glared up at Neuro. "How did you find me?"

"Did you not get my message?" he asked, releasing her after a block or so. He looked at her out the corner of his eye. "I didn't realize that boy was more important to you than helping me find my next meal."

"It's this ring, isn't it?" Yako demanded, out of breath. She struggled to keep up with his long gait. "That's how you found me."

Neuro smirked. "And if it is? What do you think you can do about it, louse?"

Something inside Yako snapped. She stopped walking. "I'll find a way," she said, eyes narrowed as she glared at the back of his head. "I don't care if it takes me weeks or months or even years. I'm going to remove this ring and have this ridiculous 'marriage' annulled. You just wait and see!"

There, she said it. The words she'd been meaning to say the whole week, but never could. Yako already felt a million times better. Her body felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she felt completely re-energized. There wasn't anything she couldn't take on.

Neuro stopped and faced her. Yako didn't know what reaction to expect, but it wasn't the pleased look currently on his face. Her stomach felt as though it were tumbling into itself, over and over, and not because she hadn't eaten.

This wasn't right. Neuro wasn't supposed to be happy. Mad because she dared to speak out against him. Annoyed because she was delaying his meal. Or even simply bored because she had spoken nonsense. Any of those reactions would've made sense. But not pleased.

"Is that so?" asked Neuro, as he considered her briefly. He chuckled. "I look forward to it."

Yako gulped. "You're . . . not mad? Even though I'm trying to divorce you?"

"Mad? Of course not!" Neuro's grin grew wider. "The chase is the best part of any game! It's no fun when the prey gives in so easily. Besides," he said, as he continued his way toward their destination, "it'll make my victory all the more rewarding."

Yako's jaw dropped as she was left behind. Was that all this was to Neuro, a game? That would certainly explain why she could never win. No matter what she said or did, she managed to make things more enjoyable for him.

As it turned out, their destination was a small bookstore that had been burned to the ground. Sasazuka and Ishigaki had arrived first and were talking with the owner. Two or three high school students stood nearby, waiting to be interviewed.

"Because I had to go and find you, those investigators got here first," Neuro said, as Yako caught up with him.

Yako couldn't bring herself to care. This wasn't the first time they'd arrived late to a case. Sasazuka would be more than happy to have the help, even if Ishigaki wouldn't.

But Neuro's stiff tone did make her care. Very, very much.

"I'm sure you understand what that means." He pulled off his glove, sharpened claws gleaming. He could barely contain his sadistic glee. "Which limb would you prefer to lose?"

Yako backed away from the puzzle-eating demon, until she bumped into something solid. The brick wall of the building behind them. "What are you talking about? I prefer to keep all of my limbs!"

"Don't you remember my message?_ Yako, get to the office now, unless you want to lose a limb_! So, which will it be?" With his ungloved hand, Neuro grabbed her left arm and pulled her to him, tracing her wrist with a claw. "Maybe a hand? You won't miss it."

Yako kept her lips pressed together. She knew better than to give him any kind of answer.

"Or perhaps, better yet…" Her arm still in his grasp, Neuro's hand went lower. Her mouth went dry as his clawed finger followed the hem of her skirt. A thin scratch appeared a moment later. "A leg. I would go for the hand, myself, but I'll leave the choice up to you."

"Neither," Yako said, trying to tug her arm from him. "I need both!"

"Tormenting innocent high-school girls?" A man chuckled, his voice light and melodic. "I didn't think such things interested you. How the mighty have fallen, puzzle-eater Nougami Neuro."

A flicker of recognition crossed Neuro's face. He frowned, but didn't around. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question is, what are _you_ doing here?"

Yako peeked around Neuro. Her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. The man stood almost as tall as Neuro, maybe an inch shorter. His long platinum blond locks were kept loose, framing his sharp features, and he wore a simple black suit and dress shoes, and red button-down shirt. No tie. Instead, the top two buttons were left undone.

But that was not what had shocked Yako. She had seen plenty of men in suits before, on the streets heading to school and on her cases together with Neuro. No, it was how inhumanly beautiful he was. A light seemed to pour out from his very being, calling to her, beckoning her to come to him.

There was no doubt in her mind this person was a demon. No human would've known about Neuro's puzzle-eating tendencies. So was he a friend? The idea of Neuro having friends was laughable, but then, so was the idea of him having a wife. If it weren't for the ring on her finger, Yako wouldn't have believed it. Even _with_ the ring, she couldn't.

An enemy seemed more likely.

"Neuro?" asked Yako, looking back at him. He didn't answer.

She returned her gaze to this new demon when her voice caught in her throat. Her blood ran cold at the sight of his eyes. Lifeless eyes colored the most brilliant shade of midnight blue. She never experienced fear like this before: not with her father's case, not with HAL, not even with X. At worst she feared for her life.

But gazing into this demon's eyes, she feared for her very soul.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Neuro said, finally turning to the demon. "It's been a while, Lutan Shiferu."


End file.
